Chapter 101

“Fay,” Daniel says, coming to my side and wrapping a happy arm around my waist. “This is my Uncle Alessi, my mother’s brother,” he tells me, and I raise my eyebrows, surprised by the news and pretending to be excited about it. But in reality, I find it unnerving – neither Daniel nor Kent has said very much about Daniel’s mother, Lenai, and I certainly didn’t know she had a brother. Especially one who makes Kent go pale like that. “And this,” Daniel says, turning towards the beautiful woman, who looks at me like a hungry cat peering at a little canary, “is Natalia, an old family friend. My mother’s maid of honor, actually, at her wedding.”

“Fay was born in America, yes,” Kent answers quickly before I can open my mouth. “But her father’s family is Sicilian, like us. Her mother…” he hesitates, and I realize that he doesn’t know.

“Scottish,” I supply sweetly, holding Natalia’s gaze and gesturing towards my red hair.

“Ahh,” Natalia says, nodding and still studying me. “And you can cook?”

I blink, surprised at the question. What the hell does that matter?

Daniel, at my side, laughs a little. “That’s something Fay’s working on,” he lies smoothly, smiling down at me and giving me a squeeze.